Good Monday Morning June 7
I hope you all had a great weekend.
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Regards
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Today in Naval History
June 7
1898
During the Spanish-American War, USS Marblehead (C 11), along with auxiliary cruisers USS Yankee and USS St. Louis, engage the Spanish gunboat Sandoval and the shore batteries at Guantanamo, Cuba for 2 1/2 hours.
1917
During World War I, U.S. submarine chasers arrive at Corfu, Greece, for anti-submarine patrols.
1942
Just after dawn, USS Yorktown (CV 5) sinks after being torpedoed the previous day by Japanese submarine (I 168).
1944
The construction of artificial harbors and sheltered anchorages, also known as Mulberries, begins off the Normandy coast.
1944
USS Mingo (SS 261) torpedoes and sinks Japanese destroyer Tamanami, 150 miles west-southwest of Manila while USS Skate (SS 305) attacks a Japanese convoy in the southern Sea of Okhotsk and sinks destroyer Usugumo, 160 miles north of Etorofu, Kuril Islands. Additionally, USS Sunfish (SS 281) attacks Japanese fishing boats en route from Matsuwa to Uruppu, Kuril Islands, shelling and sinking No.105 Hokuyo Maru, No.5 Kannon Maru, Ebisu Maru, and Kinei Maru while USS Flasher (SS 249) sinks Japanese transport No.2 Koto Maru off Cape Varella, French Indochina. Lastly, USS Bonefish (SS 223) shells and sinks Japanese guardboat Ryuei Maru at the mouth of Tarakan Harbor, Borneo.
1945
During the Okinawa Campaign, while serving with the Third Marine Battalion, Twenty-Ninth Marines, Sixth Marine Division, Pvt. Robert M. McTureous's company suffers casualties after capturing a hill on Oroku Peninsula, and the wounded can't be evacuated due to heavy Japanese fire. Waging a one-man assault to redirect enemy fire away from the wounded, McTureous attacks numerous times and suffers severe wounds in the process. He crawls 200 yards back to safety before asking for aid. His actions confuse the enemy and enable his company to complete its mission. He dies on June 11 on board USS Relief. For his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity" on this occasion, McTureous is posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
1987 USS Antietam (CG 54) is commissioned at Baltimore, Md. The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser is named after the 1862 Battle of Antietam in Baltimore during the Civil War. The cruisers first homeport is Long Beach, Calif.
Today in History June 7
1498 | Christopher Columbus leaves on his third voyage of exploration. | |
1546 | The Peace of Ardes ends the war between France and England. | |
1654 | Louis XIV is crowned king of France. | |
1712 | The Pennsylvania Assembly bans the importation of slaves. | |
1767 | Daniel Boone sights present-day Kentucky. | |
1775 | The United Colonies change their name to the United States. | |
1863 | Mexico City is captured by French troops. | |
1900 | The Boxer rebels cut the rail links between Peking and Tientsin in China. | |
1903 | Professor Pierre Curie reveals the discovery of Polonium. | |
1914 | The first vessel passes through the Panama Canal. | |
1932 | Over 7,000 war veterans march on Washington, D.C., demanding their bonus pay for service in World War I. | |
1942 | The Japanese invade Attu and Kiska in the Aleutian Islands. | |
1968 | In Operation Swift Saber, U.S. Marines sweep an area 10 miles northwest of Da Nang in South Vietnam. | |
1981 | Israeli F-16 fighter-bombers destroy Iraq's only nuclear reactor. | |
1994 | The Organization of African Unity formally admits South Africa as its fifty-third member. |
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ROLLING THUNDER REMEMBERED Thanks to the Bear
LOOKING BACK 55-YEARS to the Vietnam Air War— For The List for Monday, 7 June 2021... Bear🇺🇸⚓️🐻
OPERATION ROLLING THUNDER (1965-1968)
From the archives of rollingthunderremembered.com post for 7 June 1966...
"A tribute to the valiant Air Commandos of Farm Gate"...
https://www.rollingthunderremembered.com/rolling-thunder-remembered-7-june-1966-air-commandos/
This following work accounts for every fixed wing loss of the Vietnam War and you can use it to read more about the losses in The Bear's Daily account. Even better it allows you to add your updated information to the work to update for history…skip
Vietnam Air Losses
Access Chris Hobson and Dave Lovelady's work at: https://www.VietnamAirLosses.com.
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This Day in U S Military History…….June 7
1942 – The Battle of Midway–one of the most decisive U.S. victories in its war against Japan–comes to an end. In the four-day sea and air battle, the outnumbered U.S. Pacific Fleet succeeded in destroying four Japanese aircraft carriers with the loss of only one of its own, the Yorktown, thus reversing the tide against the previously invincible Japanese navy. In six months of offensives, the Japanese had triumphed in lands throughout the Pacific, including Malaysia, Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, the Philippines, and numerous island groups. The United States, however, was a growing threat, and Japanese Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto sought to destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet before it was large enough to outmatch his own. A thousand miles northwest of Honolulu, the strategic island of Midway became the focus of his scheme to smash U.S. resistance to Japan's imperial designs. Yamamoto's plan consisted of a feint toward Alaska followed by an invasion of Midway by a Japanese strike force. When the U.S. Pacific Fleet arrived at Midway to respond to the invasion, it would be destroyed by the superior Japanese fleet waiting unseen to the west. If successful, the plan would eliminate the U.S. Pacific Fleet and provide a forward outpost from which the Japanese could eliminate any future American threat in the Central Pacific. Unfortunately for the Japanese, U.S. intelligence broke the Japanese naval code, and the Americans anticipated the surprise attack. Three heavy aircraft carriers of the U.S. Pacific Fleet were mustered to challenge the four heavy Japanese carriers steaming toward Midway. In early June, U.S. command correctly recognized a Japanese movement against Alaska's Aleutian Islands as a diversionary tactic and kept its forces massed around Midway. On June 3, the Japanese occupation force was spotted steaming toward the island, and B-17 Flying Fortresses were sent out from Midway to bomb the strike force but failed to inflict damage. Early in the morning on June 4, a PBY Catalina flying boat torpedoed a Japanese tanker transport, striking the first blow of the Battle of Midway. Later that morning, an advance Japanese squadron numbering more than 100 bombers and Zero fighters took off from the Japanese carriers to bomb Midway. Twenty-six Wildcat fighters were sent up to intercept the Japanese force and suffered heavy losses in their heroic defense of Midway's air base. Soon after, bombers and torpedo planes based on Midway took off to attack the Japanese carriers but failed to inflict serious damage. The first phase of the battle was over by 7:00 a.m. In the meantime, 200 miles to the northeast, two U.S. attack fleets caught the Japanese force entirely by surprise. Beginning around 9:30 a.m., torpedo bombers from the three U.S. carriers descended on the Japanese carriers. Although nearly wiped out, they drew off enemy fighters, and U.S. dive bombers penetrated, catching the Japanese carriers while their decks were cluttered with aircraft and fuel. The dive-bombers quickly destroyed three of the heavy Japanese carriers and one heavy cruiser. The only Japanese carrier that initially escaped destruction, the Hiryu, loosed all its aircraft against the American task force and managed to seriously damage the U.S. carrier Yorktown, forcing its abandonment. At about 5:00 p.m., dive-bombers from the U.S. carrier Enterprise returned the favor, mortally damaging the Hiryu. It was scuttled the next morning. Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto still had numerous warships at his command, but without his carriers and aircraft he was forced to abandon his Midway invasion plans and begin a westward retreat. On June 5, a U.S. task force pursued his fleet, but bad weather saved it from further destruction. On June 6, the skies cleared, and U.S. aircraft resumed their assault, sinking a cruiser and damaging several other warships. After the planes returned to their carriers, the Americans broke off from the pursuit. Meanwhile, a Japanese submarine torpedoed and fatally wounded the Yorktown, which was in the process of being salvaged. It finally rolled over and sank at dawn on June 7, bringing an end to the battle. At the Battle of Midway, Japan lost four carriers, a cruiser, and 292 aircraft, and suffered 2,500 casualties. The U.S. lost the Yorktown, the destroyer USS Hammann, 145 aircraft, and suffered 307 casualties. Japan's losses in the hobbled its naval might–bringing Japanese and American sea power to approximate parity–and marked the turning point in the Pacific theater of World War II. In August 1942, the great U.S. counteroffensive began at Guadalcanal and did not cease until Japan's surrender three years later.
1942 – Japanese soldiers occupy the American islands of Attu and Kiska, in the Aleutian Islands off Alaska, as the Axis power continues to expand its defensive perimeter. Having been defeated at the battle of Midway–stopped by the United States from even landing on the Midway Islands–the Japanese nevertheless proved successful in their invasion of the Aleutians, which had been American territory since purchased from Russia in 1867. Killing 25 American troops upon landing in Attu, the Japanese proceeded to relocate and intern the inhabitants, as well as those at Kiska. America would finally invade and recapture the Aleutians one year later-killing most of the 2,300 Japanese troops defending it–in three weeks of fighting.
1943 – The worst of the L.A. Zoot Suit Riot violence occurs as soldiers, sailors, and marines from as far away as San Diego travel to Los Angeles to join in the fighting. Taxi drivers offer free rides to servicemen and civilians to the riot areas. Approximately 5,000 civilians and military men gather downtown. The riot spreads into the predominantly African American section of Watts.
1944 – Elements of US 5th Army capture Bacciano and Civitavecchia. The port facilities are serviceable. Elements of British 8th Army advance as well. Subiaco is taken. The South African 6th Armored Division captures Civita Castellana and advances to Orvieto.
1944 – On Biak Island, elements of US 41st Division capture Mokmer Airfield. Japanese resistance continues.
1945 – On Luzon forces from US 1st Corps take Bambang and move northeast toward the Cagayan Valley. Other units are moving around the coast from the northwest to the north of the island.
1945 – On Okinawa, in the Oroku peninsula, Japanese forces hold attacks by the US 6th Marine Division while the US 1st Marine Division advances southward and isolates the peninsula defenders. The US 24th Corps is engaged in artillery bombardments.
1945 – All German citizens in the zone occupied by the western Allies are ordered to watch films of Belsen and Buchenwald — former Nazi concentration camps.
1962 – Joseph A. Walker, NASA civilian test pilot, took the X-15 to 31,580 meters.
Medal of Honor Citations for Actions Taken This Day
DOODY, PATRICK
Rank and organization: Corporal, Company E., 164th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Cold Harbor, Va., 7 June 1864. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Birth: Ireland. Date of issue: 13 December 1893. Citation: After making a successful personal reconnaissance, he gallantly led the skirmishers in a night attack, charging the enemy, and thus enabling the pioneers to put up works.
*McTUREOUS, ROBERT MILLER, JR.
Rank and organization: Private, U.S. Marine Corps. Born: 26 March 1924, Altoona, Fla. Accredited to: Florida. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty, while serving with the 3d Battalion, 29th Marines, 6th Marine Division, during action against enemy Japanese forces on Okinawa in the Ryukyu Chain, 7 June 1945. Alert and ready for any hostile counteraction following his company's seizure of an important hill objective, Pvt. McTureous was quick to observe the plight of company stretcher bearers who were suddenly assailed by slashing machinegun fire as they attempted to evacuate wounded at the rear of the newly won position. Determined to prevent further casualties, he quickly filled his jacket with hand grenades and charged the enemy-occupied caves from which the concentrated barrage was emanating. Coolly disregarding all personal danger as he waged his furious 1-man assault, he smashed grenades into the cave entrances, thereby diverting the heaviest fire from the stretcher bearers to his own person and, resolutely returning to his own lines under a blanketing hail of rifle and machinegun fire to replenish his supply of grenades, dauntlessly continued his systematic reduction of Japanese strength until he himself sustained serious wounds after silencing a large number of the hostile guns. Aware of his own critical condition and unwilling to further endanger the lives of his comrades, he stoically crawled a distance of 200 yards to a sheltered position within friendly lines before calling for aid. By his fearless initiative and bold tactics, Pvt. McTureous had succeeded in neutralizing the enemy fire, killing 6 Japanese troops and effectively disorganizing the remainder of the savagely defending garrison. His outstanding valor and heroic spirit of self-sacrifice during a critical stage of operations reflect the highest credit upon himself and the U.S. Naval Service.
*HANSON, JACK G.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company F, 31st Infantry Regiment. Place and date: Near Pachi-dong, Korea, 7 June 1951. Entered service at: Galveston, Tex. Born: 18 September 1930, Escaptawpa, Miss. G.O. No.: 15, 1 February 1952. Citation: Pfc. Hanson, a machine gunner with the 1st Platoon, Company F, distinguished himself by conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an armed enemy of the United Nations. The company, in defensive positions on two strategic hills separated by a wide saddle, was ruthlessly attacked at approximately 0300 hours, the brunt of which centered on the approach to the divide within range of Pfc. Hanson's machine gun. In the initial phase of the action, 4 riflemen were wounded and evacuated and the numerically superior enemy, advancing under cover of darkness, infiltrated and posed an imminent threat to the security of the command post and weapons platoon. Upon orders to move to key terrain above and to the right of Pfc. Hanson's position, he voluntarily remained to provide protective fire for the withdrawal. Subsequent to the retiring elements fighting a rearguard action to the new location, it was learned that Pfc. Hanson's assistant gunner and 3 riflemen had been wounded and had crawled to safety, and that he was maintaining a lone-man defense. After the 1st Platoon reorganized, counterattacked, and resecured its original positions at approximately 0530 hours, Pfc. Hanson's body was found lying in front of his emplacement, his machine gun ammunition expended, his empty pistol in his right hand, and a machete with blood on the blade in his left hand, and approximately 22 enemy dead lay in the wake of his action. Pfc. Hanson's consummate valor, inspirational conduct, and willing self-sacrifice enabled the company to contain the enemy and regain the commanding ground, and reflect lasting glory on himself and the noble traditions of the military service.
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*McDONALD, PHILL G.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company A, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry, 4th Infantry Division. place and date: Near Kontum City, Republic of Vietnam, 7 June 1968. Entered service at: Beckley, W . Va. Born: 13 September 1941. Avondale, W. Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. Pfc. McDonald distinguished himself while serving as a team leader with the 1st platoon of Company A. While on a combat mission his platoon came under heavy barrage of automatic weapons fire from a well concealed company-size enemy force. Volunteering to escort 2 wounded comrades to an evacuation point, Pfc. McDonald crawled through intense fire to destroy with a grenade an enemy automatic weapon threatening the safety of the evacuation. Returning to his platoon, he again volunteered to provide covering fire for the maneuver of the platoon from its exposed position. Realizing the threat he posed, enemy gunners concentrated their fire on Pfc. McDonald's position, seriously wounding him. Despite his painful wounds, Pfc. McDonald recovered the weapon of a wounded machine gunner to provide accurate covering fire for the gunner's evacuation. When other soldiers were pinned down by a heavy volume of fire from a hostile machine gun to his front, Pfc. McDonald crawled toward the enemy position to destroy it with grenades. He was mortally wounded in this intrepid action. Pfc. McDonald's gallantry at the risk of his life which resulted in the saving of the lives of his comrades, is in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflects great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
*MURRAY, ROBERT C.
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant, U.S. Army, Company B, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry, 196th Infantry Brigade, 23d Infantry Division. Place and date: Near the village of Hiep Duc, Republic of Vietnam, 7 June 1970. Entered service at: New York, N.Y. Born: 10 December 1946, Bronx, N.Y. Citation: S/Sgt. Murray distinguished himself while serving as a squad leader with Company B. S/Sgt. Murray's squad was searching for an enemy mortar that had been threatening friendly positions when a member of the squad tripped an enemy grenade rigged as a booby trap. Realizing that he had activated the enemy booby trap, the soldier shouted for everybody to take cover. Instantly assessing the danger to the men of his squad, S/Sgt. Murray unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his own safety, threw himself on the grenade absorbing the full and fatal impact of the explosion. By his gallant action and self sacrifice, he prevented the death or injury of the other members of his squad. S/Sgt. Murray's extraordinary courage and gallantry, at the cost of his life above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit on him, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
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Thanks to Mugs
"the toughest man on the longest day."
Matt Williams to The M-1 Garand Enthusiasts Group
Something you don't often hear about D-day.
Brigadier General, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. the son of President "Teddy" Roosevelt, was the oldest man to hit the beach on the D-day invasion. He was also the highest ranking person to directly participate in the beach landing invasion. He was supposed to be with the other command staff in England. Gen. Roosevelt knew the importance of the mission, he knew much of the invasion force were new, untried soldiers who had never seen combat. His requests to join his men were repeatedly denied, but he persisted, even when his superiors told him he faced near certain death.
He was granted permission after explaining how his presence would inspire confidence in the invasion plan. The Commander of the Allied Forces, General Eisenhower wrote Roosevelt's eulogy before the invasion.
On the morning of the attack, as he requested, Gen. Roosevelt was in one of the lead landing craft. He led his men across the beach to a rally point under heavy fire. Being pinned down, it appeared they were going to be wiped out. Roosevelt took charge and led a move over the sea wall.
At that time, he realized other troops were trapped back on the beach, and cut off. He returned to the beach and led these men to join the attacking force. He repeated this action several times, under heavy fire.
For these actions, he received the Congressional Medal of Honor. The official citation is below:
"For gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty on 6 June 1944, in France. After 2 verbal requests to accompany the leading assault elements in the Normandy invasion had been denied, Brig. Gen. Roosevelt's written request for this mission was approved and he landed with the first wave of the forces assaulting the enemy-held beaches. He repeatedly led groups from the beach, over the seawall and established them inland. His valor, courage, and presence in the very front of the attack and his complete unconcern at being under heavy fire inspired the troops to heights of enthusiasm and self-sacrifice. Although the enemy had the beach under constant direct fire, Brig. Gen. Roosevelt moved from one locality to another, rallying men around him, directed and personally led them against the enemy. Under his seasoned, precise, calm, and unfaltering leadership, assault troops reduced beach strong points and rapidly moved inland with minimum casualties. He thus contributed substantially to the successful establishment of the beachhead in France."
What the citation does not say, is that Gen. Roosevelt was a combat veteran of WWI, where he was disabled by being shot through the knee. He required a cane to walk due to his injury. Gen. Roosevelt was 56 years old at the time of the invasion. He literally stormed the beach at Normandy with a cane in one hand and a pistol in the other!
When the beach was secured, later that day, command staff began to arrive. They were met on the beach by Gen. Roosevelt who gave a full report on the invasion operation.
Six days later, Roosevelt died of a heart attack. He is buried in France. He has been called "the toughest man on the longest day."
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AMERICAN AEROSPACE EVENTS for June 7, 2021 FIRSTS, LASTS, AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS. THANKS TO HAROLD "PHIL" MYERS CHIEF HISTORIAN AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE, SURVEILLANCE, AND RECONNAISSANCE AGENCY
7 June
1908: The first aviation column in an American newspaper began in the Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer. John Trevor Curtis, managing editor, wrote the column. (24)
1911: Lt John P. Kelly, Medical Reserve Corps, the first air medical officer, assigned to Signal Corps Aviation Field at College Park. (24)
1912: With Lt Thomas DeWitt Milling flying a Wright B, Capt Charles DeForest Chandler became the first person to fire a machine gun from an airplane in the US. Colonel Isaac N. Lewis designed the ground-type gun for mounting on aircraft. (4) (12)
1923: US Navy pilots at San Diego, Calif., continued their assault on the record books with eight new world marks for Class C seaplanes as follows: Lt Earl B. Brix used a DT-2 to set an altitude record of 10,850 feet for planes carrying 250-kilograms; Lt Robert L. Fuller used an F-5L to set an altitude record of 8,438 feet for planes carrying 500-kilograms; Ensign Edward E. Dolecek used an F-5L to set an altitude record of 7,979 feet for planes with 1,000-kilograms; Lt Cecil F. Harper used a DT-2 to set the altitude record of 13,898 feet for planes with no payload; Lt Henry T. Stanley used an F-5L, with a 1,500-kilogram load, to set the duration mark at 2 hours, 18 minutes, and an altitude record of 5,682 feet; and Lt Herman E. Halland used an F-5L with a 2,000-kilogram load to set a duration record of 51 minutes and an altitude record of 4,885 feet. (25)
1932: At the request of the Guernsey County sheriff, 2Lt Karl E. Bushong (Ohio National Guard), flying a Douglas O-38, dropped 25 tear gas bombs on a group of protestors near a mine and sprayed machine gun fire on an adjacent hillside to scare them away. The protestors, mostly angry women who had been stoning working miners during a coal strike, dispersed. (32)
1944: Operation OVERLORD. Transport aircraft dropped 356 tons of supplies to Allied forces. (18)
1951: KOREAN WAR. Through 10 June, B-26 and B-29 aircraft made radar-directed area attacks against the Iron Triangle at night, raining 500-pound bombs set to explode over the heads of the enemy troops. These operations were in preparation for UN ground forces' assaults. (28)
1952: KOREAN WAR/Operation HIGHTIDE. In an air refueling test, 35 F-84 Thunderjets took off from Japan, refueled from KB-29Ms over Korea, and attacked targets in the north. The 31st Fighter-Escort Wing from Misawa AB, Japan, finished the air refueling test on 31 August 1952. (28)
1958: SECDEF Donald A. Quarles approved the construction of the first Titan I squadrons. (6) At Francis E. Warren AFB, construction of the 706 SMW's Atlas launch and support facilities began. (6)
1966: The first successful launch of an Orbiting Geophysical Laboratory took place when OGO III went into orbit to perform 21 experiments, a record number for a US scientific spacecraft. Ryan's XV-8A "Fleep" arrived at Edwards AFB for testing of its suitability as a flying jeep. (3)
1976: FIRST TEAM SPIRIT EXERCISE. Through 24 June, this joint/combined field-training event took place in Korea to exercise, test, and evaluate the Korean Tactical Air Control System. (16) (26)
1989: A C-5 set a world record by airdropping four Sheridan armed reconnaissance vehicles, weighing 42,000 pounds each, and 73 fully combat-equipped paratroopers. The total weight reached 190,346 pounds. (18)
1993: Operation CONTINUE HOPE. The USAF deployed AC-130 Spectre gunships to Somalia to suppress local warlords. The operation started on 5 May to provide a safe environment for the distribution of humanitarian supplies and to begin nation building in the wartorn country. A month later, armed conflict erupted between UN and Somali forces. (16) (23)
2002: A Predator UAV launched a mini-UAV while in flight over Edwards AFB. This was the first time that an operational UAV carried and launched another UAV. The Predator carried the mini-UAV, a 57-pound Navy Flight Inserted Detector Expendable for Reconnaissance (FINDER), on a wing pylon and released it at 10,000 feet. Following launch, the mini-UAV conducted a 25-minute preprogrammed mission before landing on the dry lakebed. (3)
2004: OPEN SKIES TREATY. A Russian TU-154 observation aircraft landed at Travis AFB, marking the first Russian Open Skies mission over the US. The Open Skies Treaty, which became effective on 1 January 2002, permitted unarmed aerial observation flights over the territories of the 30 participating nations. (22)
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Thanks to Al
Monday Morning Humor--Golf
Golf trivia: There are 336 dimples on a regulation golf ball.
Internet legend: The word 'golf' is an acronym formed from "gentlemen only; ladies forbidden."
The facts: Golf is an old word, one that first appeared in our written language in 1425. One theory says the word golf derives from the Dutch word kolf, a generic term for a stick, club, or mallet used in a number of games similar to tennis, croquet, and hockey. However, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, claiming the Dutch word kolf as the origin of golf is problematic for a variety of reasons:
* None of the Dutch games has been convincingly identified with golf.
* It is not certain that the word kolf was ever used to denote the name of a game rather than the name of an implement.
* Scottish lacks any forms of the word golf beginning with a 'c' or a 'k.'
* The Scottish game of golf is mentioned much earlier than any of the supposedly similar Dutch sports.
Another theory ascribes golf to the Scottish goulf (also gowf), a verb meaning "to strike or cuff." This theory would at least place the origin of the word with the people who invented the game. As for "striking or cuffing," an integral part of the game is, after all, hitting the ball.
(In those older Scottish writings, golf is variously spelled gouff, goiff, goffe, goff, gowff, and golph. Our modern determination to have only one correct spelling for each word would have struck our ancestors as hilariously pedantic and priggish. The norm for them was any number of spellings for common terms, provided those written representations validly reflected the pronunciation of the word. When viewed from that angle, those odd-looking spellings begin to appear far less mysterious.)
Games similar to golf have been around since Roman times, but golf as we now know it dates approximately to 1552, when the famed St. Andrews course was constructed. Earlier Scottish versions were also referred to as "golf" even though the game so designated was very much different than its later St. Andrews version.
As for golf and this wholly unfounded "gentlemen only; ladies forbidden" word origin, its appeal is attributable to a societal shift in the nature of who now plays the game. Women these days take as many trips around the links as do their male counterparts, and golf has grown to be a pastime enjoyed by both sexes. It's thus somewhat pleasing to imagine that this now egalitarian game was at its inception intended strictly for one gender; that indeed its very name declared it off limits to the fair sex (presumably keeping them from becoming "the fairway sex" as well). Women enjoy this notion because they take satisfaction from the image of having stormed and overcome a defended male bastion, whereas men like the specious word origin because it "confirms" that it's really their game, even if the ladies now run rampant through it.
Were it up to us to promote one false word origin over another, we'd argue for golf being flog backwards. Less sexist, and far more accurate a representation, we think.
Barbara "veteran of the golf war" Mikkelson
Submitted by Holly Vanderpool:
· I was three over today: One over a house, one over a patio and one over swimming pool..--Baseball Hall of Famer George Brett
· Actually, the only time I ever took out a one-iron was to kill a tarantula And I took a 7 to do that.--Sports Writer Jim Murray
· The only sure rule in golf is he who has the fastest cart never has to play the bad lie.--Baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle
· Sex and golf are the two things you can enjoy even if you're not good at them.-- Actor Kevin Costner
· I don't fear death, but I sure don't like those three-footers for par.-- PGA Golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez
· After all these years, it's still embarrassing for me to play on the American golf tour. Like the time I asked my caddie for a sand wedge and he came back ten minutes later with a ham on rye.--PGA Golfer Chi Chi Rodriguez
· The ball retriever is not long enough to get my putter out of the tree.-- Tom Weiskopf
· My favorite shots are the practice swing and the conceded putt. The rest can never be mastered .--Lord Robertson
· Give me golf clubs, fresh air and a beautiful partner, and you can keep the clubs and the fresh air.--Jack Benny
· There is no similarity between golf and putting; they are two different games, one played in the air, and the other on the ground.--Ben Hogan
· Professional golf is the only sport where, if you win 20% of the time, you're the best.--Jack Nicklaus
· I never pray on a golf course. Actually, the Lord answers my prayers everywhere except on the course.--Billy Graham
· If you watch a game, it's fun. If you play at it, it's recreation. If you work at it, it's golf.--Bob Hope
· While playing golf today, I hit two good balls. I stepped on a rake in a sand trap.--Henny Youngman
· If you think it's hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball.-- Jack Lemmon
· You can make a lot of money in this game. Just ask my ex-wives. Both of them are so rich that neither of their husbands work.--Lee Trevino
Submitted by Al Anderson:
· Golf balls are like eggs ~ they're white. They're sold by the dozen ..... and a week later you have to buy more.
· A pro-shop gets its name from the fact that you have to have the income of a professional golfer to buy anything in there.
· It's amazing how a golfer who never helps out around the house will replace his divots, repair his ball marks, and rake his sand traps.
· When you stop to think about it, did you ever notice that it's a lot easier to get up at 6:00 a.m. to play golf than at 10:00 to mow the yard or go to church?
· Golf is by far the ultimate love / hate relationship. Sometimes it seems as though your cup runneth and moveth over.
· It takes longer to learn good golf than it does brain surgery. On the other hand, you seldom get to ride around on a cart, drink beer and eat hot dogs while performing brain surgery.
· A good drive on the 18th hole has stopped many a golfers from giving up the game.
· Water hazards are no walk in the park for fish, turtles, frogs or alligators either.
· Golf is the perfect thing to do on Sunday because you always end up praying a lot.
· A good golf partner is one who's always slightly worse than you.
· That rake by the sand trap is there for golfers who feel guilty about skipping out on lawn work.
· If there's a storm rolling in, you'll be having the game of your life.
· If your opponent has trouble remembering whether he shot a six or a seven, he probably shot an eight.
· You probably wouldn't look good in a Green Jacket anyway! A sweatshirt will do just fine!
· Golf appeals to the child in all of us. This is proven by our frequent inability to count past the number 5.
· It's a simple matter to keep your ball in the fairway if you're not choosy about which fairway.
· If profanity had any influence on the flight of a ball, most everyone would play better.
· The greatest sound in golf is the Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh, of your opponent's club as he hurls it across the fairway.
· A recent survey shows that of all jobs, caddies live the longest. They get plenty of fresh air and exercise, and if there's ever a medical emergency, a doctor is always on the course somewhere.
Submitted by Dave Harris:
One day a man decided to retire...He booked himself on a Caribbean cruise and proceeded to have the time of his life, that is, until the ship sank. He soon found himself on an island with no other people, no supplies, nothing, only bananas and coconuts.
After about four months, he is lying on the beach one day when the most gorgeous woman he has ever seen rows up to the shore. In disbelief, he asks, "Where did you come from? How did you get here?"
She replies, "I rowed over from the other side of the island where I landed when my cruise ship sank."
"Amazing," he notes. "You were really lucky to have a row boat wash up with you."
"Oh, this thing?" explains the woman. "I made the boat out of some raw material I found on the island. The oars were whittled from gum tree branches. I wove the bottom from palm tree branches, and the sides and stern came from a eucalyptus tree."
"But, where did you get the tools?"
"Oh, that was no problem," replied the woman. "On the south side of the island, a very unusual stratum of alluvial rock is exposed. I found that if I fired it to a certain temperature in my kiln, it melted into ductile iron and I used that to make tools and used the tools to make the hardware."
The guy is stunned.
"Let's row over to my place," she says "and I'll give you a tour." So, after a short time of rowing, she soon docks the boat at a small wharf. As the man looks to shore, he nearly falls off the boat. Before him is a long stone walk leading to a cabin and tree house.
While the woman ties up the rowboat with an expertly woven hemp rope, the man can only stare ahead, dumb struck. As they walk into the house, she says casually, "It's not much, but I call it home. Please sit down."
"Would you like a drink?"
"No! No thank you," the man blurts out, still dazed. "I can't take another drop of coconut juice."
"Oh, it's not coconut juice," winks the woman. "I have a still. How would you like a Tropical Spritz?"
Trying to hide his continued amazement, the man accepts, and they sit down on her couch to talk.
After they exchange their individual survival stories, the woman announces, "I'm going to slip into something more comfortable. Would you like to take a shower and shave? There's a razor in the bathroom cabinet upstairs."
No longer questioning anything, the man goes upstairs into the bathroom. There, in the cabinet is a razor made from a piece of tortoise bone. Two shells honed to a hollow ground edge are fastened on to its end inside a swivel mechanism.
"This woman is amazing," he muses. "What's next?"
When he returns, she greets him wearing nothing but some small flowers on tiny vines, each strategically positioned, she smelled faintly of gardenias. She then beckons for him to sit down
next to her.
"Tell me," she begins suggestively, slithering closer to him, "We've both been out here for many months. You must have been lonely. When was the last time you played around? She stares into his eyes.
He can't believe what he's hearing. "You mean..." he swallows excitedly as tears start to form in his eyes, "You've built a golf course too?"
Submitted by Mark Logan:
Golf marriage counseling at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W8Vofgd88Y
Dustin Johnson golf tricks at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jD7VRmllio
Have a great week,
Al
"Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into an even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose."--Winston Churchill
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